The Tale of the Busy 1 Year Old

 Riley is always on the move and 

exploring everything around her. She started walking well right around a year and it took off really quickly from there. I have had to watch to make sure the baby gate is closed at all times because she moves fast. I love when she is just wandering around playing because she will just babble on and on. It sounds like nothing to me but I wonder what she is thinking when she is doing it. Her favorite toys are the blocks. She can make a small tower on her own. She gets such joy out of doing it herself. I could see that independent streak early on. 
Sometimes you just have to do it yourself!
 

 Riley has also really taken to bringing you books to read or just for the sake of bringing them to you. Either way it is really cute. I do enjoy snuggling up with her and reading. She also does this thing where she will initiate snuggling and kisses by pushing her cheek into my face and smiling. Then I kiss attack her and laughter follows. I am really excited to get her in the pool soon because she really enjoys splashing around at her evening bath time.

I feel like she is really doing well with a sippy now. There was a period of time where I just felt like she wasn't taking in enough fluids but once I stopped asking her to take a drink every 2 seconds and gave her a break she came around. There is that independent streak again. She just had to decide that she wanted to. Thankfully she has always been a really great eater. Sometimes I feel like she eats so much I dont know where she is putting it.

  
Riley just loves playing in the dirt.  Ha! That's a point for my team - Keenan's not usually much in the mood for dirt ... or generally being outside. I really hoped Riley would enjoy playing outside. She is finally doing a little better at walking in the grass. She used to fall down every other step.  It was weird since she was doing so well inside.





She has had two colds in the span of a few weeks. Just little ones. Stuffy nose, cough but no fever. Weird. She has more trouble sleeping through the nights because she is congested or coughs out her pacifier. I think she is getting better from this one and should be pretty good to travel.

 The garden is doing really well so far. A few of the tomato plants are quite large already.  I am so excited about getting some summer fresh tomatoes. I learn something new every year that I have had a garden. Its so fun to grow your own food. We always had one growing up and I hope Riley gets a lot out of being around it. Tomatoes are so great just as a simple tomato salad or on a margarita pizza. I could probably go on as long as Bubba (Forest Gump's friend) about all of the things that I like tomatoes in. yum! I also have hot peppers, sweet peppers, eggplant, peas, beans, cucumbers, squash and herbs.  Thanks to Jon for building those lovely A frames for vertical gardening as I wouldn't have the space for most of it otherwise.  My fences are holding up well to the army of bunnies that run around the neighborhood. The chipmunks although cute are crafty and can scale the fence without breaking a sweat to take a bite out of each tomato. I can tell they are getting organized for the harvest.